The Heart of Corellia
by eowynangel
Summary: AU. Obidala. Newly elected Senator Padmé Amidala is sent to the planet Corellia, along with a delegation, to end a dispute involving the Trade Federation. There, she is reunited with Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is on a mission for the High Jedi Council. Together, they embark on an adventure that will give them far more than they have bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to my newest (and first multi-chaptered) Obidala story. I hope you will like it. I'm really interesrted in what you think of it, so don't hesitate to leave a review! Constructive critisim is very much welcomed^^ I want to address huge thanks and kudos to the wonderful Ticklesivory, who accepted to beta-read this story :) Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1**

Padmé Amidala took in the view she had from the veranda of the luxurious hotel she was staying in. Coronet City was the bustling capital of Corellia, where advanced technologies were mixed with beautiful architecture, and the sight was quite breathtaking. It was much smaller and less crowded that Coruscant, and there were many parks and green open spaces. She understood why it was referred as the Jewel of Corellia.

The young senator sighed, turning from the landscape, sat on the confortable blue sofa and picked up her datapad. She would have preferred her first mission as a representative of the Chommel sector be smoother, but as soon as she **'** d learned the Trade Federation and its infamous leader Nute Gunray were involved in a dispute with the Corellians, she knew she had to be part of the diplomatic delegation sent by the Galactic Senate. She just couldn't forgive the hardships the people of Naboo had endured during the blockade when she was Queen and feared there were darker motives behind the serious disagreement between the two parties.

She scanned the screen of the electronic device once more. She had read the facts so often in the last couple of days; she almost knew them by heart now. The source of the discord was a new battalion of ships ordered by the Federation to the Correllian Engineering Corporation, one of the most prized starship manufacturers in the galaxy.

The worksites were soon flooded with rumors of bribery and presence of illegal equipment, not regulatory on trading transports. These allegations were taken seriously **,** in light of the Blockade Crisis and were verified by a group of experts on several vessels. The Corporation decided to put an end to the contract, which resulted in the Trade Federation refusing to pay for the work already accomplished. The situation had rapidly escalated and the Senate decided to send negotiators to resolve the conflict. Unfortunately, even after three days of intense conciliation and the help of Garm Bel Iblis, the Corellian senator, they had yet to find a successful outcome for the whole matter.

Padmé put the datapad back on the table and stroked her dark hair pensively. She was wondering if she had made a wise choice by joining the negotiation party. Nute Gunray and his assistants were not hiding their extreme distaste towards her and seemed to work against her propositions with a sadistic methodology. She knew today was not going to be any different.

A knock at her door signaled it was time to go. The young woman adjusted her dress, lifted her chin and exited her room, as ready as possible for another round of political pleasantries.

* * *

The spaceport of Coronet City was probably the biggest Obi-Wan Kenobi had ever seen. There were ships everywhere, parked in every gap available, and he could spot a variety of species, mingling with humans easily.

He spotted a fair amount of Selonians, native from Selonia, another planet in the Corellian system. They were fur-covered, sleek but powerful mammals who stood at an average height of two meters, which made them easily recognizable in the midst of the heteroclite crowd. Obi-Wan knew from what he had read in the archives of the Jedi Temple that underneath Coronet's city streets lay a vast underground series of tunnels and caverns where the Selonian population lived and worked. These tunnels were also home to the subway system. The other species living on one of the Five Brothers were the Dralls. These small and furry creatures, descending from burrowing mammals, were highly intelligent. They were very attached to their homeworld, and were seldom present on the other planets.

But the planet history was not why he was here. The Knight shook his contemplative thoughts out and focused on finding his contact. He pushed his way through the multitude, looking for green robes, which were distinctive of the Correllian Jedi Enclave.

The sounds of cries and panicked people interrupted his search. Discreetly, he followed the present members of the CorSec, the Security Force to reach the area of the commotion. Obi-Wan understood immediately his mission had just become even more complicated than he had anticipated. Several bodies were lying lifeless on the concrete floor. Among them was the Jedi he was supposed to meet.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A/N: Thank you so much to my first readers and reviewers, I really hope you will enjoy the following chapter, your words means a lot to me! Most of the data I use in this story is taken from Wookiepedia, in case you are wondering. And chocolate and kisses to my wonderful beta Ticklesivory, who finds the time to correct my chapters in spite of her busy schedule^^.**

The meeting room was too noisy. Padmé was bombarded by fragments of never-ending arguments between the participants. She was rapidly developing a headache and only wished for the whole scene to freeze, just for a second. At this precise moment, she was even wondering why she had accepted the nomination to become Senator, for she felt she had less power of action than when she was Queen of Naboo. It was like she was a mere drop of water in an ocean of conflicts to resolve.

She blinked a few times and focused again on the subject at hand. In spite of how she felt personally, the delegation had managed to settle most of the disagreement. Unfortunately, there was still a big rift concerning the biggest vessel in the fleet. It was the principal spaceship the Trade Federation had ordered, and they had wanted the most lavish flagship ever made. It was the first piece to be built, and the Corellian engineers had gloated about it since then. These men were so proud of the achievements accomplished they had named it " _The Heart of Corellia_ ".The young woman barely held back a snort. With so many egos fighting for dominance, she wasn't surprised it was so difficult to set up an arrangement.

All of sudden, Garm Bel Iblis, the Representative of the planet, excused himself. When he came back fifteen minutes later, Padmé could tell something was wrong. When the dark-haired man asked for silence, she held her breath. She had a bad feeling about this.

"I have sad news to announce. The spaceport has just been the target of gunfire. Several people are reported dead. We do not know whether this attack was deliberate."

Everyone in the conference room was speechless. But the diffuse feeling of dread in her chest exploded when Padmé saw the Corellian Senator focus his attention on her.

"Senator Amidala, we have to talk. Please follow me."

* * *

Obi-Wan helped the CorSec police officers in taking care of the deceased. The body of Tilan Kor, the Green Jedi, had been respectfully moved away from the crime scene and the Jedi Council had been alerted.

The Coruscant Knight was removing large pieces of broken glass out of the way, when the body of a dead woman caught his attention. She seemed oddly familiar, with her petite silhouette, slightly round face and her long braided dark hair. She was the echo of events which took place several years before, when he met Anakin. He quickly banished the painful thought of the Tatooine boy, and decided to investigate further.

When he saw the young woman up close, he had to bite back a gasp. For a fleeting moment, the image of the young queen of the Naboo came before him. The similarities with the unfortunate victim were unsettling and he really hoped the resemblance was just a trick of his mind.

Once the bodies were all taken care of, Obi-Wan accompanied the CorSec agents to their Headquarters, situated at One CorSec Plaza. The Law Enforcement Agency was a tall and heavily guarded building, with officers of different ranks going in and out.

When he arrived on the fourth floor, Obi-Wan felt relieved. He was eager to discuss the events with the Director and see some members of the Green Jedi. He needed answers; the situation on Corellia seemed to be more complicated than he supposed.

As he neared the Director's office, he noticed some people already waiting outside the door. A man turned to him and shook his hand vigorously.

"Welcome Master Jedi. I am the Senator of Corellia. My name is Garm Bel Iblis. We are fortunate to count you as a witness of these horrific actions."

Obi-Wan bowed and introduced himself to the older man. He felt the woman a few meters from them tense. She turned around, her elegant gown following her movement. Her eyes were wide with surprise but he could also discern a hint of happiness inside her brown orbs.

He bowed again, a light smile forming on his lips as he addressed her formally.

"Senator Amidala, it's been far too long."

TBC


End file.
